Dear Friends and Neighbors,
On January 3, 2022, I was sworn in to serve my 3rd term as County Legislator, District 6. Immediately following the swearing in, Legislator Catherine Borgia was elected Chair of the Board, and I was privileged to be elected Vice Chair. I am honored and humbled to have been chosen by my colleagues to help lead this esteemed government body, and I am particularly appreciative, as this is the first time in the Board’s history that both Chair and Vice Chair positions are held by women!
Chairwoman Borgia and I are already well into the reorganization process, and, along with our colleagues, are busy developing priorities for this legislative session. We are determined to bring a collaborative, forward-thinking mind-set to our work on the Board, with a focus on building relationships and problem-solving to develop innovative solutions to meet today’s and tomorrow’s challenges.
This term we will continue to focus on hardening and replacing our aging infrastructure while looking for ways to address climate change through innovation and regulation. We will also work on storm mitigation, especially in the communities that have had increased flooding in recent storms. Another area of focus will be the Westchester economy. Affordable and sustainable housing is an important part of building back the economy, as is accessible and quality child care. And of course we will focus on the most important and basic needs such as food insecurity and healthcare, with a special emphasis on mental health. In Westchester, no one should have to be hungry, homeless or lacking adequate healthcare.
At the Westchester County Board of Legislators, we utilize a committee system. Every decision we make -- about budgets, parks, roads, new laws, and more -- begins with consideration in our committees. And each of our 14 committees has a particular area of oversight over the rest of County government.
As Vice Chair of the Board, I serve on all of the Board committees; Appointments, Budget & Appropriations, Environment & Energy, Economic Development, Health, Housing, Human Services, Human Rights & Equity, Law & Major Contracts, Legislation, Parks & Recreation, Public Safety, Public Works & Transportation, Rules, and Seniors & Youth. In addition, I am Co-Chair of the Families Task Force, Vice Chair of Environment & Energy, and BOL liaison to the County’s Airport Advisory Board.
Committee meetings begin today, January 24, 2022. As always, committee meetings will be streamed live on the Board of Legislators’ website. Check the “Meeting Calendar” section at www.westchesterlegislators.com for a list of upcoming meetings, links to agendas and other documents, live stream and archived video.
I look forward to keeping you informed about the Board of Legislators’ work, and invite you to reach out to me about matters you think the Board should consider.
For more about this year's Board of Legislator committee assignments, please visit: https://bit.ly/3zN3tbU
Stay safe and warm this winter,